The backlog of pothole repairs across England and Wales has reached a record £18.6bn, according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA). Despite councils filling approximately 1.9 million potholes last year, only half of the local road network is now in good condition, with the problem exacerbated by a notably wet winter.
The AIA's annual report shows that the estimated cost of a one-off repair of all potholes has risen by £1.8bn since 2025, even after the government allocated an additional £500m last year, bringing total funding to £1.6bn. David Giles, chair of the AIA, described the state of local roads as a 'national disgrace', warning that frequent adverse weather is taking a toll on an underfunded and fragile network.
Motoring organisations echoed the concern. Edmund King, president of the AA, said the report 'starkly warns us how much more needs to be done to eradicate this plague of potholes'. Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, noted that roads are 'in a woeful state of disrepair', with hundreds of daily breakdown reports mentioning potholes. Nicholas Lyes of IAM RoadSmart added that about one in six local roads have less than five years of structural integrity left, calling for long-term investment rather than 'patch and dash' repairs.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said the report 'rightly highlights the need to improve our roads', pointing to a record £7.3bn in long-term funding and a 15% increase in pothole-prevention works in 2025 compared with 2024. They pledged to hold councils accountable for delivering safer, smoother journeys.
Separately, KwikFit reported that pothole damage cost UK drivers a record £1.8bn over the past 12 months, and that 2.5 million drivers have bought larger cars or SUVs to cope with road conditions, potentially worsening the damage.
